Managing Consistent Interfaces for Demand Business Objects Across Heterogeneous Systems

1. A computer-implemented method for integrating information about at least one of a product, a supplier, a manufacturer, a retailer, and a customer, the method steps performed by a processor and comprising: generating a first message by a first application, the first application executing in an environment of computer systems providing message-based services, wherein the first message comprises a request to create a demand plan for a specified demand planning scenario and includes a first message package hierarchically organized in memory as: a demand plan create request message entity; and a demand plan package including a demand plan entity, the demand plan entity including an ID and a demand planning scenario ID; processing a second message received from a heterogeneous second application in response to the second application's processing of the first message according to the hierarchical organization of the first message package, the second application executing in the environment of computer systems providing message-based services, wherein the second message comprises a confirmation of the request to create the demand plan for a specified demand planning scenario and includes a second message package hierarchically organized in memory as: a demand plan create confirmation message entity; and a log package, the log package including a log entity; generating a third message by the first application, wherein the third message comprises a request to delete a demand plan and includes a third message package comprising a demand plan package; processing a fourth message received from the second application in response to the second application's processing of the third message, wherein the fourth message comprises a confirmation to delete the demand plan and includes a fourth message package; generating a fifth message by the first application, wherein the fifth message comprises a request to retrieve an ID of a demand plan assigned to a specific demand planning scenario and includes a fifth message package comprising a selection package that includes a demand plan simple selection by demand planning scenario ID package; and processing a sixth message from the second application in response to the second application's processing of the fifth message, wherein the sixth message comprises a response to the request to retrieve the ID of a demand plan assigned to a specific demand planning scenario.

2. A computer-implemented method for at least one of creating, changing, deleting, and reading a master data of a planning process, the method steps performed by a processor and comprising: generating a first message by a first application, the first application executing in an environment of computer systems providing message-based services, wherein the first message comprises a request to create demand planning characteristic value combinations and includes a first message package hierarchically organized in memory as: a demand planning characteristic value combination create request message entity; and a demand planning characteristic value combination package including a demand planning characteristic value combination entity; processing a second message from a heterogeneous second application in response to the second application's processing of the first message according to the hierarchical organization of the first message package, the second application executing in the environment of computer systems providing message-based services, wherein the second message comprises a provision of information about a result of the creation of the demand planning characteristic value combinations and includes a second message package hierarchically organized in memory as: a demand planning characteristic value combination create confirmation message entity; and a log package including a log entity; generating a third message by the first application, wherein the third message comprises a request to create demand planning characteristic value combinations and includes a third message package comprising a demand planning characteristic value combination create request message sync package; processing a fourth message from the second application in response to the second application's processing of the third message, wherein the fourth message comprises a response to provide information about a result of the creation of several demand planning characteristic value combinations and includes a fourth message package comprising a demand planning characteristic value combination create confirmation message sync package; generating a fifth message by the first application, wherein the fifth message comprises a request to cancel one or more demand planning characteristic value combinations and includes a fifth message package comprising a demand planning characteristic value combination package; processing a sixth message from the second application in response to the second application's processing of the fifth message, wherein the sixth message comprises a confirmation to cancel one or more demand planning characteristic value combinations and includes a sixth message package; generating a seventh message by the first application, wherein the seventh message comprises a request to cancel several demand planning characteristic value combination sync and includes a seventh message package comprising a demand planning characteristic value combination cancel request message sync package; processing an eighth message from the second application in response to the second application's processing of the seventh message, wherein the eighth message comprises a response sent to provide information about a result of a cancellation of several demand planning characteristic value combinations and includes an eighth message package comprising a demand planning characteristic value combination cancel request message sync package; generating a ninth message by the first application, wherein the ninth message comprises a request to change an existing demand planning characteristic value combination and includes a ninth message package comprising a demand planning characteristic value combination package; processing a tenth message from the second application in response to the second application's processing of the ninth message, wherein the tenth message comprises a response sent to provide information about a result of a change of a demand planning characteristic value combination and includes a tenth message package; generating an eleventh message by the first application, wherein the eleventh message comprises a request to retrieve demand planning characteristic value combinations and includes an eleventh message package comprising a selection package and a grouping characteristic package; and processing a twelfth message from the second application in response to the second application's processing of the eleventh message, wherein the twelfth message comprises a response to provide a result of a query requested by a message type demand planning characteristic value combination by characteristic value query sync and includes a twelfth message package comprising a demand planning characteristic value combination package.

3. A computer-implemented method for storing one or more effects of sales promotion activities, the method steps performed by a processor and comprising: generating a first message by a first application, the first application executing in an environment of computer systems providing message-based services, wherein the first message comprises a request to create a demand view of promotion and includes a first message package hierarchically organized in memory as: a demand view of promotion create request message entity; and a demand view of promotion package including a demand view of promotion entity, the demand view of promotion entity including an ID, a demand plan ID, a planning version ID, a demand plan key FIG. 1D , a status code, at least one level, at least one time series period, and at least one characteristic value combination, each level including a demand plan characteristic ID and an ordinal number value, each time series period including an ID, date period, and calendar unit code, and each characteristic value combination including a least one characteristic value and expected promotion effect, each characteristic value including a demand plan characteristic ID and a demand plan characteristic value, and each expected promotion effect including a time series period ID and a value; processing a second message from a heterogeneous second application in response to the second application's processing of the first message according to the hierarchical organization of the first message package, the second application executing in the environment of computer systems providing message-based services, wherein the second message comprises a confirmation to a demand view of promotion create request sync and includes a second message package hierarchically organized as: a demand view of promotion create confirmation message entity; and a demand view of promotion package and a log package, the demand view of promotion package including a demand view of promotion entity, the demand view of promotion entity including an ID, a status code, a status name, and a system administrative data value, the log package include a log entity; generating a third message by the first application, wherein the third message comprises a request to change a demand view of promotion and includes a third message package comprising a demand view of promotion package; processing a fourth message from the second application in response to the second application's processing of the third message, wherein the fourth message comprises a confirmation to a demand view of promotion change request sync and includes a fourth message package comprising a demand view of promotion package; generating a fifth message by the first application, wherein the fifth message comprises a request to delete a demand view of promotion and includes a fifth message package comprising a demand view of promotion package; processing a sixth message from the second application in response to the second application's processing of the fifth message, wherein the sixth message comprises a confirmation to a demand view of promotion cancel request sync and includes a sixth message package comprising a demand view of promotion package; generating a seventh message by the first application, wherein the seventh message comprises a request of an inquiry for a demand view of promotion and includes a seventh message package comprising a selection package; processing an eighth message from the second application in response to the second application's processing of the seventh message, wherein the eighth message comprises a response to a demand view of promotion by ID query sync and includes an eighth message package comprising a demand view of promotion package; generating a ninth message by the first application, wherein the ninth message comprises an inquiry for identifying elements of a demand view of promotions of a demand plan and includes a ninth message package comprising comprises a selection package; processing a tenth message from the second application in response to the second application's processing of the ninth message, wherein the tenth message comprises a response to a demand view of promotion simple by demand plan ID query sync and includes a tenth message package comprising a demand view of promotion package; generating an eleventh message by the first application, wherein the eleventh message comprises a request of an inquiry for the identifying elements of a demand view of promotions and includes an eleventh message package comprising a selection package; and processing a twelfth message from the second application in response to the second application's processing of the eleventh message, wherein the twelfth message comprises a response to a demand view of promotion simple by demand plan simple by ID query sync and includes a twelfth message package comprising a demand view of promotion package.